MY PATH

From Medicine to Artistic Mastery

Blending decades of medical practice with the transformative power of visual arts and movement.

Bridging Three Worlds

Linda Cox Artist Statement

After retiring from medicine, college to study Dance and Fine Arts. Initially, I think the motivation for returning to school stems from a lifelong commitment to learning. Shortly after beginning my studies, the creative juices began percolating. Learning was no longer the only motivation for my studies; I had a true desire to create art. The three art disciplines I focused on are painting, jewelry-making, and dance. I primarily paint with oil on canvas. I have yet to establish my ‘painting style.’ I greatly admire the impressionists, but when I have tried to emulate them, the resultant paintings have too much realism. Currently, my paintings are based on photographs of people, birds, and other animals, primarily taken outdoors. My interest in jewelry making started with trying to repair my own jewelry. This evolved into creating jewelry that was usually centered around and the inexpensive pin that I found in the thrift store. My first piece centered on a fish pin I got at Goodwill. My wedding freshwater pearl necklace had broken, so I decided to create a piece featuring a fish in turbulent waters, with the pearls mimicking ocean swirls. I started the piece when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. This is when I discovered how therapeutic art can be: while I was working on the piece, I focused solely on it. My dance choreography is very much about storytelling. During my dance studies, most of the choreography came from assignments with specific tasks. When I am freeform choreographing, the music creates the story.

As I previously mentioned, most of my current paintings are oil on canvas and are based on pictures of people in outdoor settings. I think they are well balanced in recognizing the ~~equal~~ importance of people, animals, and the environment. Often, I will modify the landscape if I'm looking for more color contrast or I want to create an element of fantasy. For example, in a recent painting of a picnic at Casper Mountain, I added colorful trees and foliage inspired by Japanese art I was studying that semester. I can justify this because I think imagery can be used in paintings just as it is in mindfulness. Imagery is a strong component of dance performance and choreography. In addition to my realistic, more or less, photography-based oil paintings. I will occasionally create a mixed-media piece, usually starting with acrylic paint on canvas, because acrylics dry much faster than oils. I may add dried flowers, clips of old lingerie or clothing, beads, shells, and other items, depending on what effect I am trying to create. Sometimes I use mixed-media ‘add-ons’ to complement or offset the story. In other cases. I am trying to create different textures or dimensions. In a floral still life, I wrapped nylon lingerie over wire, then applied the paint. The 3-dimensional flowers nicely complemented the surrounding grounded plants. My jewelry work is much like it was in the beginning, except I have developed a term for it: recycled jewelry. I begin with an existing piece- that (still) usually comes from a thrift store. build a piece with a story around it. During my metalsmithing classes, I created several chunky brass or copper necklaces built around unusual pins or pendants bought at thrift stores, a crouching rhinestone leopard climbing up a copper tree, and a large blue ceramic cricket clinging to a brass tree limb. I have not had many opportunities to perform or choreograph since completing my dance studies, but I continue to take classes.

The common thread in all my artwork is storytelling. This is apparent to me in dance and jewelry making, but not as obvious in my painting. At least not during the process. During the process, I am totally focused on getting IT right, the colors, the facial expressions, the shadow, etc. But towards the end, I start to see and ’get’ the story. Which I find a little odd. It makes me wonder if some level of my subconscious is directing the painting. As an aside, to provide some context for this sentence, my father was a Freudian-trained psychiatrist. The other common element to all my artwork is the process is incredibly therapeutic. In the almost ten years since I entered the art world, I have experienced many significant losses. I believe art has greatly helped me through the healing process.

CURRICULUM VITAE

LINDA SUSAN COX

4821 E21 St Casper, Wyoming 82609 Email: lscoxmd@gmail.com or linda.cox@mycc.caspercollege.edu Telephone:307-349-3476

EDUCATION

· Casper College Associate degree in Fine Arts: 2022 In progress

· Casper College: Associate degree in Dance: 2022

· Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. Degree -Doctor of Medicine. 1985.

· Boston University College of Liberal Arts, Boston, Mass. Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude Honors 1978

EXHIBITIONS

· Casper College Juried Student Art Exhibition 2025 & 2026

· ART321 100th Year Celebration Auction 2024

· Feast & Fright Exhibition (in addition to exhibiting, volunteered)

· ART321 Un-Defining Art Exhibit 2022

· ART321 PHOTOFEST 2022

PERFORMANCES

· Casper College Dance Showcase 2019-2024

· Kelly Walsh High School Performance of Aaron Wood’s “Soda Pop” 2021

CHOREOGRAPHY

· Choreographer “Serenity” 2024

· Co-Choreographer “Harmonic Conversion” 2024

· Choreographer “Echonation” 2023

· Co-Choreographer “Shadowed Winds and Ghost Roads” 2022

PRESENTATIONS (Since 2020)

· World Allergy Association Meeting presentation “Dance is a Healing Art” 2024

· Global Initiatives in Neurological Diseases and Dementia “Dance is a Healing Art” 2023

PUBLICATIONS (since 2020)

· Cox, L The Healing Power of Art-Based Practices submitted for publication and under review 2025

· Cox, L. & Youmans-Jones, J. Dance Is a Healing Art. Curr Treat Options Allergy, 1-12 (2023).

· Cox, L. S. Rhinosinusitis Diagnosis and Management: The Hoops and Hurdles. Immunol Allergy. Clin North Am 40, xiii-xv (2020).

· Cox, L. Pharmacoeconomics of allergy immunotherapy versus pharmacotherapy. Expert review of clinical immunology 17, 255-268 (2021).

· Cox, L. Grand Challenges in Allergen Immunotherapy. Front Allergy 2021

· Cox, L. S. & Nowak-Wegrzyn, A. Leaps and Bounds in Allergen Immunotherapy Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 40, xv-xvii (2020).

· Cox, L. S. Allergy Immunotherapy: Are We Making Progress or Just Standing Immunol Allergy Clin North Am (2020).

· Cox, L. Approach to Patients with Allergic Rhinitis: Testing and Treatment. Immunol Allergy

Clin North Am 104, 77-94 (2020).

· Cox, L. (Editor)Biologics and Allergy Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Allergic Diseases. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 40, 687-700 (2020).

TECHNICAL SKILLS

· Microsoft Office: Word, Powerpoint, and Excel

· Adobe Acrobat

· Adobe Indesign

· Adobe Photoshop

· Adobe Illustrator

Biosketch

Linda Cox is a retired physician currently pursuing a degree in Fine Arts. At Casper College in Casper, Wyoming. She practiced as allergy and immunology specialist for nearly 30 years in South Florida. During her medical professional career, she served in leadership positions in several organizations. She was president of the American Academy of Allergy,

Asthma, and Immunology, The Florida Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Association and the Broward County Medical Association. She served on the Board of Directors of The American Board of Allergy and Immunology and the Florida Medical Association. She held faculty positions at University of Miami School of Medicine and at Nova Southeastern University’s Department of Medicine and Dermatology

Prior to medical school she studied dance at the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts. Dance is one of her lifetime passions. She continued studying dance throughout her medical career as much as her work, organizational and family commitments would allow. The cost of maintaining a solo practice in South Florida became prohibitive and she accepted a position in an allergy practice in Wyoming. Shortly after relocating to Casper, she began to take ballet classes at Casper College. Shortly afterwards, COVID and other events convinced her to retire.

The freedom of retirement afforded her with the time to pursue a degree in dance. As a dance student, she chose courses in other art disciplines as electives. Painting was ‘love at first sight.’ But it did bring on new challenges. Learning to mix colors to get exactly the right flesh tones, sunsets, or mountainous landscapes continues to be a challenge. However, she sees these challenges in a positive light, as opportunities to grow and learn. She believes lifetime learning will slow down cognitive aging. In a review paper she published in 2023 called “Dance is Healing Art,” dance activities were associated with a decline in age-related brain function.

Her other art ‘love’ is metalsmithing, primarily because she likes making jewelry.. She particularly likes to take ‘secondhand jewelry,’ such as the pin found at a thrift store, and making it into an interesting piece of jewelry.

When Art Dances with Science

Every detail of my practice — from the flow of a dance sequence to the precision of a jewelry weld — is rooted in a deep understanding of human physiology, aesthetic grace, and the power of mindfulness and imagery. When I use the term " art-based practice, I am referring to all of the art disciplines, including music, dance, and visual arts. I believe the intentional creation and appreciation of art, dance, and music can provide many health benefits. This belief is based on sound scientific research.

Although I no longer practice medicine, I remain active in the scientific community as an editor (Frontiers In Allergy), writer, and lecturer/presenter. My current interests lie primarily in the healing and therapeutic power of Art-based practices. An excellent resource for science-based information on complementary approaches to healthcare treatment can be found at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health website https://www.nccih.nih.gov

A close-up of hands sketching a human figure in motion on ivory paper. The workspace is filled with charcoal sticks and a cup of tea, set in a serene North American home studio with soft daylight.

Coming Soon

Summary discussion of Arts-based Practice and health benefits

with a list of useful resources

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WHY IT WORKS

Arts as Complementary Health

I merge medical insight with artistic expression. My approach treats the arts not just as a hobby, but as a vital component of a resilient, healthy life.

An elegant, airy dance studio with blonde wood floors and mirrors. A dancer moves through a contemporary pose, blurred to emphasize flow. Outside the windows, a lush North American landscape is visible.

Neuro-aesthetic research

Somatic movement

Handcrafted wearable art

Evidence-based wellness

Interview Articles

Cinnock Magazine

Linda Cox: Career-long doctor, lifelong student

May 1, 2025Reaching retirement age for most people signals the pinnacle of a life’s work and a well-earned time to relax, but for Linda Cox, retirement allowed time to further pursue a lifelong passion. Cox is a retired medical doctor turned student of dance and fine arts.

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Link to article

Perspective > Medscape Allergy & Immunology

Allergen Immunotherapy: Best Practices

An Expert Interview With AAAAI

Marrecca Fiore; Linda Cox, MD

DISCLOSURES

May 06, 2013Editor's Note

Allergen-specific immunotherapy has been used to treat allergic rhinitisand asthma for more than a century. The long-term efficacy of this therapy, most often used for patients with allergic disease who do not respond adequately to medications or avoidance measures, has been reaffirmed in several recently published research papers.

Medscape interviewed Linda Cox, MD, President of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and author of several research papers examining allergen immunotherapy, to offer guidance to physicians on the use of this therapy. Dr. Cox, who coauthored AAAAI's 2011 update to its allergen immunotherapy practice parameters,[1] also provides perspective on some of the recent findings in immunotherapy as well as thoughts on the more recent sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT).

Click here for full text of article

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/803436?form=fpf

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunolgy

Practice Champions

June 2023
Linda Cox, MD, FAAAAI

Linda Cox, MD, FAAAAI, past AAAAI President in 2013, is a Practice Champion. Formerly an allergist in solo private practice in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and a clinical associate professor of medicine at Nova Southeastern University, she now resides in Casper, Wyoming and is affiliated with the Asthma & Allergy Center.

“Ours is the specialty of last resort. We treat the most challenging and complex patients.” said Dr. Cox. “I always knew that I’d have an interesting day.”

As a strong advocate for her patients’ health and well-being, Dr. Cox recalled an elderly gentleman whom she had treated for years, who began experiencing significant signs of dementia. Contacted by his daughter who had expressed concerns about his living situation, Dr. Cox assisted the family in relocating him to a safer place. In her over 30 years of practice, she treated up to four generations of the same family.

As patients from around the world sought her clinical care, many observed, “My past provider didn’t do what you do,” she said. She describes her philosophy for patient care as one of shared decision-making, necessary to ensure the patient is compliant in their treatment.

Dr. Cox recently published “Dance is a Healing Art MCI: mild cognitive impairment RCT: Randomized-controlled trials,” an opinion piece featured at the World Health Organization in May 2023. She also recently completed a two-year dance program in fine arts, and enjoys painting and writing.

Her leadership has stretched far beyond her service to the allergy/immunology specialty. Dr. Cox co-lead a Girl Scout troop, taught Sunday School, served Bethesda by the Sea church as a reader, and was a parent advisory committee member at her children’s school.

Mentored by many, she acknowledged Hal Nelson, MD, FAAAAI, Lanny Rosenwasser, MD, FAAAAI, the late Lou Mendelson, MD, FAAAAI, Jim Li, MD, PhD, FAAAAI, Richard Lockey, MD, FAAAAI, and Tom Casale, MD, FAAAAI, and others who have inspired her interest in leadership, research and writing.

Full article link: https://www.aaaai.org/utility/my-membership/member-resources/member-magazines/practice-matters/practice-champs